News Releases

New England Supermarkets Recognized for Environmental Achievements

(Boston, Mass. – November 13, 2013) – Two supermarket retailers based in or operating in New England have been recognized by EPA’s GreenChill Partnership for their achievements in refrigerant management in the past year. GreenChill is an EPA partnership with supermarkets to reduce harmful refrigerant emissions and decrease partners’ impact on the ozone layer and climate change.

GreenChill works with supermarkets to help them transition to environmentally-friendlier refrigerants, reduce the amount of refrigerant they use, eliminate refrigerant leaks, and adopt green refrigeration technologies and environmental best practices. Refrigerants used by supermarkets, if not managed properly, can contribute to climate change and harm the ozone layer, which protects people from cancer-causing ultraviolet radiation. More than 8,000 stores belong to the GreenChill Partnership, over 20 percent of the supermarket industry.

The two supermarket companies recognized with a GreenChill 2013 Environmental Achievement Award for their efforts in New England were McQuade’s Marketplace, and Hannaford.

McQuade’s Marketplace, which operates stores in Rhode Island and Connecticut, was awarded one of GreenChill’s Most Improved Emissions Rate Award. This award acknowledges the GreenChill Partner with the most dramatic reduction in its corporate refrigerant emissions rate from its baseline year.

Hannaford’s store in Turner, Maine, was awarded GreenChill’s “Best of the Best” award. This award goes to the best GreenChill certified store of all stores in the past year.

“These two New England Companies, along with EPA’s other GreenChill partners, are demonstrating significant leadership in the effort to reduce harmful refrigerant emissions and decrease their impact on the ozone layer and climate,” said Curt Spalding, regional administrator of EPA’s New England office. “We applaud their efforts and hope that other organizations follow their lead.”